res extensa

Terms from Artificial Intelligence: humans at the heart of algorithms

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Res extensa is the term used by Descartes, Réne to refer to the physical material of our bodies, which he regarded as different from res cogitans the mental stuff that allows us to think. This is a form of dualism, which is rejected by most modern philosophers ... except insofar as many feel that biological brains are intrinsically different from computers.

Used in Chap. 23: page 383